Polyol compounds such as sugars like sucrose or maltitose are known as a sustainable and readily available raw material. Ethoxylates of maltitol is known, e.g., CAS 503446-80-8. This material has been widely disclosed as a surfactant for cosmetic and other personal care applications such as that discussed in JP 2003-096182. Other known ethoxylated polyols include: ethoxylated manitol (CAS 53047-01-2), ethoxylated inostol (CAS 503446-79-5), ethoxylated sorbitol (CAS 53694-15-8). Application JP 10-081744 discuses the production of polyetherpolyols by adding alkylene oxides to saccharide in the presence of amine catalysts. However, as “catalyst” implies, the amine catalysts do not become incorporated into the polyetherpolyol structure.
Also known are a series of amine terminated ethoxylates known in the trade as JEFFAMINES® sold by Huntsman. These are mainly derived from polyethylene glycol and mixtures of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol where the glycols are aminated directly with ammonia and a catalyst. These are called JEFFAMINE D® and JEFFAMINE ED® series. The most complex mixture of the JEFFAMINES® series is the T series. The JEFFAMINES® are based on either trimethylolpropane or glycerine and thus have three ammonia terminated EO/PO branches radiating from the glycerin or trimethylolpropane core.
Amination of polyols with ammonia and other amines is further exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,119, but uses modification of the polyol specifically via epichlorohydrin to form a polyol bis-halohydrin followed by reaction with ammonia or an amine to form repeating networks of amino polyols. This results in formation of a complex polymerized mixture containing multiple polyols linked randomly via the reactive halo hydrin. This complex mixture is not believed to be of value to formulators of cleaning compositions for the purpose of providing cleaning benefits and is targeted towards forming emulsifiers.
Simple amination of polyols are described in WO 01/98388 A1 discussing simple aminated polyols, further reacted with aldehydes, in particular formaldehyde, to make complex polymeric networks. Included in these complex structures is the ability to have sulfide, carboxylate, alkyl esters, alkyl sulphonates, and alkyl phosphates as a functional unit of the complex structure. However, the resulting complex polymeric networks is not believed to be of value to formulators of cleaning compositions for the purpose of providing cleaning benefits. Additionally, it has not been taught to manipulate these materials in a controlled and specific manner. Selective modification of sugar derived polyols to provide modified polyols where the star like structure is tuned to meet the needs of detergent formulators is highly desirable.
There also exists a need for materials that are relatively easy to manufacture from sustainable and readily available raw materials, which may be broadly tuned to address specific performance requirements.
Stressed conditions also give the additional problem of having anionic surfactants such as linear alkylbenzene sulfonates or alkyl sulfates form larger order aggregates. The aggregation of the anionic surfactant reduces the amount of the anionic surfactant available to clean.
There exists a need for materials that are relatively easy to manufacture from sustainable and readily available raw materials, which may be tuned in a controlled and specific manner to address specific formulability and performance requirements. A multifunctional material that provides cleaning and gives increased surfactant availability by preventing formation of larger ordered aggregates of anionic surfactant with free hardness during use is desired.
Specific performance requirements include providing cleaning of hydrophobic stains (grease, oil) to hydrophilic stains (clay) associated with outdoor soils. Other performance requirements include used in personal care compositions, such as contact lens solution, uses in adhesives, vulcanization of rubbers, use in polyurethane processes, use as dye additives, use as a dispersant in agricultural applications, use as dispersants for inks, asphalt dispersants, surfactant dissolution aides, in use surfactant solubilizers in presence of calcium and magnesium among other performance requirements.
Formulability of some of the current commercial polymers, which provide cleaning of outdoor soils, into granular and liquid laundry detergents, hard surface cleaners, dish cleaning compositions, personal care compositions as well as oil drilling compositions continues to challenge detergent formulators.